Currently choanoflagellates are classified into two distinct orders: loricate Acanthoecida and non-loricate Craspedida. The morphologically based taxonomy of the order Craspedida is in need of a revision due to its controversial, paraphyletic and inconsistent systematics and nomenclature. In this study, we add molecular data (SSU and parts of the LSU rDNA) of six new Craspedida species isolated from saline, brackish and freshwater habitats to the existing knowledge. Four of these six organisms could be described as new species: Paramonosiga thecata, "Salpingoeca" euryoecia, "Salpingoeca" ventriosa, "Sphaeroeca" leprechaunica, whereas two are assigned to previous morphologically described species: "Salpingoeca" fusiformis Saville Kent, 1880 and "Salpingoeca" longipes Saville Kent, 1880. Paramonosiga is established as a new genus of the Craspedida based on its phylogenetic position. Extending the dataset by six additional sequences shows that the craspedid taxonomy is still unsolved as the type specimen Salpingoeca gracilis has not yet been sequenced and hence a clear assignment to the genus Salpingoeca is not possible. Trying to assign morphological and ecological data to phylogenetic clades is not successful. We give an improved/emended morphological diagnosis for the two redescribed species and add molecular data for all six species, shedding light on their phylogenetic position.
Keywords: Craspedida; Paramonosiga; Phylogeny; Salpingoeca; Sphaeroeca; Taxonomy.
Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier GmbH.